Door-opener



ma' Model.) J. HEADLAND.

DOOR OPENER. No. 584,588. Patented June 15, 1897.

PATENT nricn.

JOHN IIEADLAND, OF GALVA, ILLINOIS.

DOOR-OPENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 584,588, dated June 15,1897.

Application led May 11,1895. Serial No. 548,897. (No model.)

To all whom t 71mg/ concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN HEADLAND, a citi- Zen of the United States,residing at Galva, in the county of I-Ienry and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Door-Openers, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to foot-operated dooropeners.

The nature of the invention, the objects thereof, and the constructionand organization of the parts as embodied in a working door-opener arehereinafter described, and the combinations of parts in which theimprovements consist are also hereinafter described and made thesubject-matter of claims hereto appended.

In the accompanying drawings all my improvements are shown as embodiedin the best Way now known tome. Obviously, however, while still withinthe purview of my invention, some of these improvements may be usedwithout the others and in door-openers diliering in construction andorganization of parts from the door-opener described and shown by me.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective showing part of a door in aclosed position, parts of the wall adjacent to each side of the door,and my improved door-opener in place on the door; Fig. 2, an edgeelevation of part of the door in an open position and sectionalelevation of adjacent parts of the wall and base-board orskirting-board, oblique elevation of the door-jamb, and side elevationof the door-stop; Fig. 3, an edge elevation of the lower part of thedoor and side elevation of the lower part ot' the door-opener and thefoot of a person in place for operating it; Figs. 4 and 5, sideelevations, partly in section, of the latch-operating crank-arm andsectional elevation of the door-knob or lock-spindle and knob-shank.

The swinging door A, wall d, skirting-board ce', door-casing d2, hingesd3, and lock B may be of any ordinary lconstruction to which myimprovement is applicable.

The foot-piece C, by means of which the latch b of the lock B isoperated, as hereinafter described, consists of side bars c', bentoutwardly at their lower ends and connect-ed by a bar c2. rlhe side barsc are slidably mounted in bearings c3, which project from a plate c4,fixed to the door A by screws c5. A shield c6 is preferably interposedbetween the plate c4 and the door and extends downwardly to such anextent as to protect the door from abrasion by the shoe or boot on thefoot of the operator. The part or bar c2 is preferably covered by arubber sleeve c7.

The crank-arm D is bifureated at its lower end and strides the shank bof the lock-knob b2, thereby stridin g the spindle b3 of the lock, towhich parts b and biit is secured byabolt d, which passes through saidshank and the spindle. The outer end of the arm I) extends laterally andby preference upwardly from the spindle b3. This arm D is,further, ofsuch construction or bent in such manner that it may be fixed to thespindle by a vertical bolt d, as shown at Fig. 4, or by a horizontalbolt, as shown at Fig. 5, and in both of said positions the crank-armwill project to about the same point relatively to the spindle b3. Thespindle b3 is an ordinary rocking spindle and is turned by the knob b2in an ordinary inanner in one direction to retract the lock-latch Z2 andis turned in an opposite direction by a spring cl2 in an ordinarymanner. A chain, cord, or link E is connected at its upper end to theouter end of the arm D, and its lower end is bifureated and is connectedone branch e thereof with the upper end of each side bar o'.

Assuming the door to be in its closed position, as shown at Fig. l, theoperator, by placing his foot on the bar c2 and pressing thereon, will,through the instrumentality of the slidable foot-piece O and chain E,draw down the outer end of the arm I) and thereby turn the spindle b3 ina direction to retract the latch l) and permit the door to be opened. Byplacing the foot in the inclined position shown by full lines at Fig. 8such force as is necessary to pull it open may be advantageouslyapplied. The pressure of the foot on the bar c2 being removed the springd2 will force the latch b out into its normal position and thereby turnthe spindle b3 in an opposite direction to that last described.

In closing the door the foot of the operator IOO can be inclined, asshown by dot lines at Fig. 2. A similar door-openerrnay be pla-ced onthe other side of the door.

By the means described the operator may both open and close the doorfrom either side.

In order to render the opener more certainly ellective, and moreparticularly to aid the spring d2 in throwing out the latch against theeXtra resistance arising from its having to raise the main parts of theopener, I have located a helical spring G above the outer end of the armD and tired its upper end to the door and its lower end to the outer endof said arm D. X/Vhen the parts of the opener are in their normalpositions, as shown at Fig. l-that is, the foot-piece C in its highestposition and the latch b thrust out-the adjustment of the tension of thespring G is such that it will either exert no upward force on the arm Dor so small an amount as to not lift the arm D, chain E, and foot-pieceC. Vhen the foot-piece C is forced downward to retract the latch l), ashereinbefore described, the spring G will be acted on by the arm D andits coils be more separated. The spring G thus becomes an auxiliary toassist the lock-spring d2 and a substitute for the spring cl2 in case ofits breaking or failure. The spring G may be a spring of any other classor type, if desired.

I is an ordinary door-stop of the cla-ss having a hook-shaped catch t'on its outer end and iXed at its other end to the skirting-board. lVhenthe door is thrown entirely open, the

bar c2 will engage with the hook t' and hold the door open. The bar c2can be released from the hook t' for closing the door by forcing thefoot-piece C downwardly by the foot (see dotted lines at Fig. 2) or byturning the knob b2 with the hand in a direction to retract the latch band thus allow the chain E and foot-piece C to fall to their lowerpositions.

l-Iaving thus described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a door-opener, and in combination substantially as described, adoor, a springactuated latch, a slidable foot-piece having side bars c'with outwardly-turned lower parts connected by a bar c2, bearings c3 forthe side bars c', a lock-spindle, an arm D IiXed to and projecting fromsaid lock-spindle, and means for connecting the foot-piece and said arm.

2. In a door-opener, and in combination, a spring-actuated latch, aslidable foot-piece, a lock-spindle, a bent arm which may be iixed by ahorizontal -or vertical bolt to the lockspindle to project tosubstantially the saine point, and means for connecting said arm and theslidable foot-piece, substantially as described.

In testimony Whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JonN HEADLAND.

Witnesses JosIAI-r TILDEN, H. M, RIoHARns.

